iChan: Flourish in this 39th Best... Around... Round

March 25 th 's Results The scale reads: 143 lbs. (Analog scale) Goal: 127 lbs. The stupid Wal*mart pedometer reads: 10677 steps, 2.696 mi., 439.6 calories Other aerobic activities: Climbed 16 flights of stairs! March 26 th 's Results The scale reads: 147 lbs. (Digital scale - not happy with this) Goal: 127 lbs. The stupid Wal*mart pedometer reads: 11406 steps, 2.88 mi., 469.6 calories Other aerobic activities: Climbed 4 flights of stairs... (well, maybe I shouldn't count it because it wasn't for exercising purposes - I was the only way I can get to where I was going) Yesterday's Results The scale reads: 146 lbs. Goal: 127 lbs. The stupid Wal*mart pedometer reads: 14767 steps, 3.729 mi., 608 calories Other aerobic activities: Dancing with the Stars: Latin Cardio Dance (Merengue) - 12 minutes Dancing with the Stars: Dance Off the Pounds (Jive) - 17 minutes Light gardening Gah! I've gained weight again. I was doing pretty good, but...

March 21 st 's Results The scale reads: 145 lbs. (Digital scale) Goal: 127 lbs. The stupid Wal*mart pedometer reads: 11182 steps, 2.823 mi., 460.4 calories Other aerobic activities: Nothing March 22 nd 's Results The scale reads: 144 lbs. (Digital scale) Goal: 127 lbs. The stupid Wal*mart pedometer reads: 11260 steps, 2.843 mi., 463.6 calories Other aerobic activities: Lord of the Dance - a 7 minute break March 23 rd 's Results The scale reads: 144 lbs. (Digital scale) Goal: 127 lbs. The stupid Wal*mart pedometer reads: 3000 steps, 0.757 mi., 123.5 calories Other aerobic activities: Nothing Yesterday's Results The scale reads: 143 lbs. (Digital scale) Goal: 127 lbs. The stupid Wal*mart pedometer reads: 11101 steps, 2.803 mi., 457 calories Other aerobic activities: Nothing At least I went down to 143, yay! No major trial or tribulations. I just kept on trucking even though I didn't complete any other major aerobic activity. Wh...

Today's Results The scale reads: 145 lbs. (Digital scale) Goal: 127 lbs. The stupid Wal*mart pedometer reads: 11113 steps, 2.806 mi., 457.5 calories Other aerobic activities: Nothing (I walked around the Beer Can House and the Menil Collection , which accounted for some of the steps above.) Yesterday's Results The scale reads: 145 lbs. (Digital scale) Goal: 127 lbs. The stupid Wal*mart pedometer reads: 10900 steps, 2.752 mi., 448.8 calories Other aerobic activities: Dancing to the Mambo Jazz Kings At this point, I don't think Chris or I have developed the endurance to run the entire 5K. We walked the course and thought it might be more challenging than we first imagined it to be. It doesn't help I don't have the appropriate equipment (read: running shoes) to build up the endurance yet. The Skechers Resistance Runners order I had placed 2 weeks ago on Amazon unexpectedly canceled. Why did the seller even bother posting the item if they were no...

Today's Results The scale reads: 142 lbs. (Analog scale. I checked the digital scale later and got a reading of 148 lbs. Sadness) Goal: 127 lbs. The stupid Wal*mart pedometer reads: 7017 steps, 1.771 mi., 288.9 calories Other aerobic activities: Light chores 51 minutes of Billy Blank, Jr.'s Dance With Me: Groove and Burn 30 minutes of Quick Fix: Cardio Hip Hop I stayed indoors and I'm still breathing after all that aerobic activity! I'm kind of puzzled how I'm at 148 with all the physical activity I enjoyed. Image courtesy of NASA and The Batelle Institute I'm going through the mailed donation solicitations again and the one from the American Lung Association caught my eye. It kind of makes me want to spend more time outdoors and take my exercising business there. However, according to NASA, " Houston has exchanged titles with Los Angeles as having the most polluted air in the United States defined by the number of days each city violates fe...

March 15's Results The scale reads: lbs. Goal: 127 lbs. I spent 3 days with my aunt, but I totally don't trust that digital scale. I should have considering that's the scale we'll use for the weigh in August. However, I want to know where I really am so I'll just stick with the readings from the digital scale I bought from Wal*Mart. I'll check in with my analog scale to keep up the habit. The stupid Wal*mart pedometer reads: 13516 steps, 3.413 mi., 560.7 calories Other aerobic activities: Nothing - 13k steps is pretty good March 16's Results The scale reads: lbs. Goal: 127 lbs. The stupid Wal*mart pedometer reads: 15264 steps, 3.854 mi., 633.3 calories Other aerobic activities: Nothing - I think walking 5000 extra steps was good enough for the day! Yesterday's Results The scale reads: lbs. Goal: 127 lbs. The stupid Wal*mart pedometer reads: 10169 steps, 2.567 mi., 418.7 calories Other aerobic activities: 30 minutes of Fat ...

Yesterday's Results The scale reads: 144 lbs. Goal: 127 lbs. The stupid Wal*mart pedometer reads: 10527 steps, 2.658 mi., 436.7 calories Other aerobic activities: Fat-Blasting Dance Mix (all 50 minutes) Methods Class, finished. Curriculum Development Class, no more. I am a happy camper. It was a challenging term because I really didn't know how to make time for some aerobics or other fitness related activity. I'm scaling it back to one course this upcoming term (that starts next Monday) so I can mellow out and get my bearings on my fitness goals again. The wedding was nice. I guess what helped me cut down on the eating that night was the fact that Chris, family friends, Chris' mom, Chris' aunts, and I helped with serving food during the reception. I guess seeing over 100 people with the same food kind of makes you lose your appetite. I did good considering I only had one plate half full of ribs, a couple piece of briskets, a little itty bit of rice, a ...

Yesterday's Results The scale reads: --- lbs. (I'll ignore data until Sunday morning. I'm going to a wedding in the next 24 hours and I'm already a little disheartened :P) Goal: 127 lbs. The stupid Wal*mart pedometer reads: 4497 steps, 1.136 mi., 186.7 calories Other aerobic activities: Just breathing :( Image courtesy of HEEB Magazine I'd have trouble saying "gefilte" fish if I hadn't heard Chris Tucker butchering the word in the Rush Hour outtakes. I've never had this variety of stuffed fish before. Heck, I don't think I've had stuffed fish period. I've only had eggplant stuffed with fish and that was surprisingly addictive. I'm kind of craving the fish they serve at Chinese seafood restaurants with the soy sauce and ginger and kind of drowning a bowl of rice. All the talk of wedding meals makes me lust over the idea of having Chinese style lobster at my own wedding. I love lobster tails with butter and lemon, but Ch...

Yesterday's (Thursday, March 10) Results The scale reads: 141 lbs. (Analog scale... not buying this figure) Whoa, I just checked my weight moments ago with a digital scale: 148 lbs.!!!! (Then again it's a different time of day and a different date. Also, I'm wearing jeans and a heavier shirt than what I usually weigh myself with (shorts and a tank top). Oh, and I just went to a fish fry today and scarfed down how many fillets of fried catfish, popcorn shrimp, hushpuppies, fried okra, and fries? YEAH, I know. The word "fried" should've been a signal to say, "Back away, not today.") Goal: 127 lbs. The stupid Wal*mart pedometer reads: 10028 steps, 2.53 mi., 4160 calories Other aerobic activities: Very light chores Image courtesy of Bling Cheese . I am laughing at a Xanga post I just wrote within the hour. My Xanga blog is my personal "Gratitude for the Right Attitude" blog. Now I'm grateful for this rather rude awakening. It...

Yesterday's/Today's Results The scale reads: ? lbs. I was too absorbed with my final to weigh myself. Yay, I know my priorities. Goal: 127 lbs. The stupid Wal*mart pedometer reads: 3180 steps, 0.803 mi., 131.9 calories Other aerobic activities: Exercising my jaw to eat every last morsel of Chuy's endless nacho bar :(!!! I totally feel like I'm taking 2 steps forward and 2 steps back with this endeavor. I got all gung-ho about losing more weight only to lose steam by day one. I guess panic mode had set in because I have so many final assessments of sorts for school due. I welcomed the opportunity to go grub with Chris and our friends, Brian and Melissa, so I can get out of the apartment. Talk about cabin fever. I need to start better sleeping habits, too. I guess that's why I don't feel so motivated to prance about and keep up with moving about or eating right. Eh, since I'm still running on adrenaline, I better skedaddle and try to clock in 30...

Yesterday's Results The scale reads: 142 lbs. (Analog scale... skeptical of this) Goal: 127 lbs. The stupid Wal*mart pedometer reads: 10799 steps, 2.727 mi., 448 calories Other aerobic activities: Firm Flat Abs 30 minutes of Dance It Off & Tone It Up Image courtesy of Skechers I totally gave in. I bought this baby on Amazon and I'm not looking back (unless the vendor really shipped me a piece of junk). The rave reviews for the Skechers Resistance Runners were alluring. What really pushed me to purchase this, though, was the upcoming 5K run to celebrate Yuri's (the first human in Earth orbit) Night Chris and I signed up for in April. I was looking at my collection o' shoes and I didn't own a single pair of running shoes (hard to believe since we all know I have a shoe habit and currently own easily around 30 something pairs). My only pair of running shoes fell victim to last spring's freak apartment flood that also took 20 other pairs of shoe. O...

Yesterday's Results The scale reads: 143 lbs. (Analog scale - shifty little bugger, that little dial... I don't trust it one bit) Goal: 137 lbs. 127 lbs. by August The stupid Wal*mart pedometer reads: 6383 steps, 1.61 mi., 264.8 calories Other aerobic activities: Cardio Hula (35 minutes) I'm interested in reading Sally Hogshead's Fascinate . I just took her little online test to see what triggers I fascinate (persuade and captivate) with. To my chagrin, my primary trigger is: My secondary trigger is: And my dormant trigger is: Guh, can I entice myself to lose weight with my "natural proclivity" to arouse rebellion, inject irreverence, and lure with alternatives? Can I start avoiding the facts and the data and just start feeling? Can I create opportunities to engage all 5 senses so I'm captivated with this weight loss adventure? I know for sure I'm teasing and flirting with the idea of getting down to 137 lbs. Maybe I should tea...

Yesterday's Results The scale reads: 146 lbs. (Digital scale) Goal: 137 lbs. The stupid Wal*mart pedometer reads: 5378 steps, 1.358 mi., 223.1 calories Other aerobic activities: Snoring :( The pollen level is high in Houston and flu season has suddenly kicked into high gear. My voice was hoarse yesterday and I didn't sleep too well. By the end of the day, my voice was normal, but I was dog tired! Am I sick? Do I have allergies? Do I have a weird bout of the blues? I was definitely in an emotional slump yesterday. I felt like I could not accomplish anything or do anything right. I couldn't conjure in that last bit of effort to walk 10K steps. Instead of trying to do something active, I took a long nap. I haven't been sleeping well in the last few days, too. Final assessments and assignments are due this week and I haven't even gotten around to some of it. I am panicking, but I know I need to schedule in some exercise so I'm not a sedentary donkey. I...

Yesterday's Results The scale reads: 148 lbs. (Oh me gads! How did this happen?!?!) Goal: 137 lbs. The stupid Wal*mart pedometer reads: 4741 steps, 1.197 mi., 196.7 calories Other aerobic activities: Fiesta Latina Vol. 1 Disgusting! I thought I was good at maintaining my weight. I guess the analog scale at my apartment has a 3 to 5 lbs. error even though I "calibrate" it per the instruction manual. I didn't think eating a bowl of oatmeal would add that many pounds. Then again look at some the fatty fat I consumed yesterday: Chuy's Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas A closer look Gringo's Papa Chulo (ribs, sausage, beef fajita, bacon-wrapped shrimp, rice, and beans

Yesterday's Results The scale reads: 145 lbs. (Analog scale - doesn't count since it was at a different time of day and a post-brunch measurement) Goal: 137 lbs. The stupid Wal*mart pedometer reads: 8794 steps, 2.22 mi., 364.8 calories (I don't know how many more steps I had since I left the pedometer at home while I was out and about so I'm pretty happy I did that many more extra steps) Other aerobic activities: Climbing 4 flights of steps, twice Are you doing the pony? Image courtesy of Weight Loss Minds I was pretty grumpy yesterday because the neighbor kids were raising such a fuss. Friday afternoon madness, I guess? I walked around plenty, but that didn't calm my nerves. What did the job was watching The Taffetas later that evening. My friend was playing drums that night for this musical and she encouraged me to go. She didn't have to twist my arm. She said the magic words, "It's a musical based on '50s music." Man, oh, man. ...

Yesterday's Results The scale reads: 144 lbs. (Analog scale. This shouldn't count since I'm weighing myself at a different hour of the day.) Goal: 137 lbs. The stupid Wal*mart pedometer reads: 10230 steps, 2.583 mi., 424.4 calories Other aerobic activities: 38 minutes of Paula Abdul's "Cardio Dance" Image courtesy of Google Products I'm glad I came across the Pedometer Review . The full review is currently in my queue of things to read after textbooks. Only 1 more week left until the end of this term. If I continue to maintain my stellar GPA after this term, I should reward myself with one of these recommended models. The Omron HJ-112 is getting rave reviews and I'm mighty tempted to get it. I can't complain about the price because I've gone through 1 Dollar Tree pedometer (at $1.08) and 4 Wal*Mart pedometers (OK, the brand is SPORTLINE, but I associate it with Wal*Mart) at 6-8 buckos apiece already! This would save me and wallet som...

Yesterday's Results The scale reads: 144 lbs. (Analog scale) Goal: 137 lbs. The stupid Wal*mart pedometer reads: 8239 steps, 2.08 mi., 341.8 calories Other aerobic activities: Sweeping and vacuuming Hi-ya! Karate chop my lack of focus! I only needed under 2000 steps to reach my 10k/day goal. I think light chores can count as aerobics, right? If time had permitted, I would've done some mopping, too. Time is not on my side right now. I read from About.com that "[y]ou start deconditioning in about two weeks if you stop exercise altogether. Once lost, it takes nearly three times as long to recondition as it took to 'detrain.'" So, I haven't really been keeping a consistent workout regimen for nearly a year. Will it take me three years to recondition? I kid, I kid. However, I do see less definition since the high school days so I need invest the time. Image courtesy of CelebrityBeautyBuzz.com I need to stop relying on my Skechers Shape-Ups to d...

Yesterday's Results The scale reads: 145 lbs. (Analog scale) Goal: 137 lbs. The stupid Wal*mart pedometer reads: 11378 steps, 2.873 mi., 472 calories Other aerobic activities: It's a rest day after yesterday's activities rendered me, um, un-energetic In support of the Shriners, IHOP had their annual "receive-a-stack-o'-pancakes-for-free" day. I asked my aunt if she wanted to partake in this and before you know it, it turned into an all foodie day. I still had the Groupon for Little Napoli (Yeah, I'm still a little annoyed they did not allow us to use for brunch on Sunday) so we started our day there: It looks harmless enough... right? $10 for a 10" pizza with sparse amounts of meat (for me anyways). Let's fill up on carbs via some garlic bread. Spaghetti with meatball and Italian sausage - I ate probably 3/4 of it. I ate maybe 1/2 of this beef lasagna. Then the day continued on with the original foodie intent:  But the food did...

Yesterday's/Today's Results The scale reads: 145 lbs. (Analog scale - the digital one is at kind sir's) Goal: 137 lbs. The stupid Wal*mart pedometer reads: 7040 steps, 1.777 mi., 292 calories (Still looks a little fishy considering I got lost walking around a high school judging a science fair yesterday) Other aerobic activities: 10 minutes of 10 Minute Solution: Dance Your Body Thin 50 minutes of 10 Minute Solution: Knockout Body Walking around with ankle weights for 20 minutes (part of the pedometer count) OK, I may have overdone it yesterday with the aerobic activities because I felt like the ultimate McFatty-Fat-Fat. I don't know if the quality of the "workouts" exceeded the quantity of it. Since I didn't use the same scale to weigh myself, I can't really tell if it did anything. Then again, does one day really make a difference? Here's a snippet of the peppy Andrea leading me through the "Dance Your Body Thin" routines:...